Accelerating research in innovative advanced building equipment and novel envelope materials
The Building Technologies Research Section accelerates the development and integration of innovative advanced building equipment and novel dynamic envelope materials and systems to enable affordable, efficient, and resilient buildings.
The section includes four groups: Building Envelope Materials Research; Building Equipment Research; Integrated Building Performance; and Multifunctional Equipment Integration.
Researchers in the Building Envelope Materials Research Group use expertise in heat, air, and moisture transport to develop and evaluate new building envelope materials and assemblies that reduce energy use, enhance occupant comfort, are moisture durable, and/or provide grid services.
Using extensive experimental facilities, researchers in the Building Equipment Research Group work with advanced hardware-based design models, and the incorporation of emerging materials to help industry develop vapor compression cycles, appliances, water heaters, heat pumps, air conditioners and dehumidifiers, and refrigeration systems.
The Integrated Building Performance Group pursues building energy modeling, building to grid communications and control, and energy optimized solutions for neighborhoods of the future and the Multifunctional Equipment Integration Group develops and integrates state-of-the-art building equipment to include functionalities such as grid integration, advanced energy storage and energy conversion systems.